Baggage rack for railway cars



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(N0 Mo'del.)

H. c. HART. BAGGAGE RACK FOR RAILWAY CARS.

Patented Aug. '7, 1883.

My PETERS. PhniO-Lillwgruphor. Walhinglnn. n. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shet 2.

H. G. HART. BAGGAGE RACK FOR RAILWAY CARS.

No. 282,887.- Patented Aug..7; 1883.

I nvevdor, Hen? 6122x725 N. PETERS PMb-Lilhognplwr. Wnhinflon, n. c.

-ing of the car.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY C. HART, O F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

BAGGAGE-RACK FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Batent No. 282,887, dated August 7, 1883.

Application filed June 12?, 1883.

To all whom, it may concern.-

- Be it known that I, HENRY O. HABT, a cititofore constructed is, that the racks have sharp angularcorners, which frequently bruise and injure the hands and arms of passengers,who, while placing an article within or removing the same from the rack, are apt to be thrown against the corners of the latter by the jolt- Another objectionable feature of the baggage-rack as ordinarily constructed is the projecting acorn-nuts or screwheads of the screws employed for securing the end pieces or brackets to the longitudinal rods or. plates which constitute the bottom and front side of the rack, since the passengers hands are liable to become injured by said nuts or screws.

It is the object of the present invention to avoid such objections and to. construct the component parts of the rack in such manner that when fitted and secured together the front corners of the rack shall be rounded or made substantially hemispherical, and the ends of the rack have curved or rounded edges, whereby the sharp angles existing in the ordinary baggage-rack shall be entirely done away with.

(No model.)

vention. Fig. 2 represents the rack with its several component parts detached from each other. Fig. 3 is a section taken on a.l1orizon-. tal plane through one of the front corners, so 5 5 as to more clearly illustrate the joint.

A A indicate the ends of the baggage-rack. These ends consist each of a metal plate or frame, B, formed with suitable ornamental open-work and curved transversely from end 6 to end, so that a part of the plate between its longitudinal edges shall have a substantially semi-cylindrical conformation. These I end plates are formed with upper extensions, B, which rise from the top edges of the plates, 6 and consist of any desired arrangement of curved vertical and diagonal bars, which constituteguards for preventing articles being jolted out from the rack at its ends.

0 indicates the front piece of the baggagerack. This front piece consists of a long metal plate or frame provided with suitable scroll or open work, and curved transversely from end to end in the same way as the ends of the rack. This front piece is connected at its ends with the front ends of the end pieces, and in order to L void angles at the front corners, which are formed at the junction of said plates, the front piece, 0, and the end pieces, B, are curved inwardly at their meeting ends, and the latter cut away, so as to form" shoulders D. The ends thus formed interlock or fit together, so that a smooth exterior. is formed at the joint, and by. reason of the double curvature at the ends of said plates or pieces round or hemispherical corners are formed. As the concave sides of the end and front pieces are on the inside, it follows that there will be no angular corners running from end to end of said pieces, but that the exterior of 0 the track, both along its front and its ends, will be smooth and rounded. The end pieces are cast or provided with perforated lugs E, which fit against the inner side of the front piece, alongside the top and bottom edges of 95 the latter. Screws 6 are passed through the movement.

piece and secured to the end piece, although the construction shown is regarded as the most convenient. The horizontal bars extending from end to end of the rack, so as to form a bottom for the same, pass through the transverse bars G, and are fitted upon the ledge k, formed by the lower edge of the end pieces,- said bars being secured to the end pieces by means of suitable screws, 9. The bottom bars are arranged parallel with each other, and set at suitable distances apart. They serve to connect the end pieces together, as well as to form a bottom for the rack, and by passing them through the transverse bars G they will be supported between their. ends, and be pre vented from becoming bent. bars G are the lower horizontal bars, H, the upper vertical arms, G, of which angular bars form portions of the back of the baggagerack. The arms G are secured at their front ends to the inner side of the front piece near its lower edge, and are thus prevented from any lateral The horizontal back bars, I, pass through these, vertical arms of the angular bars, and are thus supported thereby at points between their ends. The said ends of the horizontal back bars, I), of the upper extensions, B, of the end pieces, are secured by means of screws i, which pass through the vertical bars of these-extensions, and are secured into the ends of the horizontal back bars. The vertical bars of the end extensions are provided with bracket-s K, projecting laterally from the rear side of the rack, and adapted to be secured to the wall of a car.

It will be seen that the horizontal back bars and the vertical arms of the angular bars, being arranged at right angles to each other, form spaces, which can be ornamental panels. In the drawings one of these panels, L, is shown arranged in one of these spaces in the back. This panel consists of a metal plate provided with ornamental open or scroll work and secured at its ends by means of screws Z, which pass through the vertical arms of the angular bars and are screwed into the ends of the panel. The end pieces, B, are each provided with a pendent loop or ring, M. These rings constitute a holder for canes, umbrellas, and the like, and being located adjacent to the rear ends of the end pieces are out of the way.

In addition to the features of the rounded corners and edges hereinbefore described, it will be seen that the component parts of the rack are rigidly braced and held together, and

that by means of the devices employed for with their perforated lugs, top extensions, loops, and brackets can be easily cast in one piece and be provided with any desired orna- The transverse to end, the ends of the front piece and the front ends of the end pieces being curved inwardly and fitted together so as to form the rounded front corners of the rack, substantially as described.

3. In a baggage rack, the transverselycurved front and end pieces having their connected ends curved inwardly. and held together by means of lugs on one piece secured to the inner side of the adjoining piece, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a baggage rack, the transverselycurved front and end pieces having their connected ends curved inwardly and reduced along their end edges, so as to form shoulders, said ends being fitted together so as to form a smooth joint, and the pieces being held together by means of lugs and screws, substantially as described.

5. The combination, in a baggage-rack, of the transversely-curved end pieces curved inwardly at their front edges, the said front and end pieces being connected together at the front corners of the rack, and the ends of the rack being connected by the horizontal back and bottom bars, substantially as described.

6. A baggage-rack comprising the curved ends and front B and G, curved transversely and connected together by lugs and screws, the

horizontal parallel back and bottom bars conneeting the ends together, and the angular bars H, connected to the front piece and having the horizontal and vertical arms through which the back and bottom bars pass, said members being constructed and organized substantially as described.

7. The baggage-rack provided with curved front and end pieces, connected substantially as described, and having a panel detachably secured between the horizontal back bars and two parallel arms of the angular bars through which the back bars pass, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY C. HART.

Vitncsses \ViLLIAM MAY,

A. I. McLEon. 

